Let's prepare for assessments

Next, dive into our Leadership Principles. We use our Leadership Principles every day, whether we're discussing ideas for new projects or deciding on the best approach to solving a problem. It is just one of the things that makes Amazon peculiar. All candidates are evaluated based on our Leadership Principles. The best way to prepare is to consider how you’ve applied the Leadership Principles in your previous professional experience.

Customer Obsession

Leaders start with the customer and work backwards. They work vigorously to earn and keep customer trust. Although leaders pay attention to competitors, they obsess over customers.

Ownership

Leaders are owners. They think long term and don’t sacrifice long-term value for short-term results. They act on behalf of the entire company, beyond just their own team. They never say “that’s not my job".

Invent and Simplify

Leaders expect and require innovation and invention from their teams and always find ways to simplify. They are externally aware, look for new ideas from everywhere, and are not limited by “not invented here". As we do new things, we accept that we may be misunderstood for long periods of time.

Are right, A Lot

Leaders are right a lot. They have strong judgment and good instincts. They seek diverse perspectives and work to disconfirm their beliefs.

Learn and Be Curious

Leaders are never done learning and always seek to improve themselves. They are curious about new possibilities and act to explore them.

Hire and Develop the Best

Leaders raise the performance bar with every hire and promotion. They recognize exceptional talent, and willingly move them throughout the organization. Leaders develop leaders and take seriously their role in coaching others. We work on behalf of our people to invent mechanisms for development like Career Choice.

Insist on the Highest Standards

Leaders have relentlessly high standards - many people may think these standards are unreasonably high. Leaders are continually raising the bar and driving their teams to deliver high quality products, services and processes. Leaders ensure that defects do not get sent down the line and that problems are fixed so they stay fixed.

Think Big

Thinking small is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Leaders create and communicate a bold direction that inspires results. They think differently and look around corners for ways to serve customers.

Bias for Action

Speed matters in business. Many decisions and actions are reversible and do not need extensive study. We value calculated risk taking.

Frugality

Accomplish more with less. Constraints breed resourcefulness, self-sufficiency and invention. There are no extra points for growing headcount, budget size or fixed expense.

Earn Trust

Leaders listen attentively, speak candidly, and treat others respectfully. They are vocally self-critical, even when doing so is awkward or embarrassing. Leaders do not believe their or their team’s body odor smells of perfume. They benchmark themselves and their teams against the best.

Dive Deep

Leaders operate at all levels, stay connected to the details, audit frequently, and are skeptical when metrics and anecdote differ. No task is beneath them.

Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit

Leaders are obligated to respectfully challenge decisions when they disagree, even when doing so is uncomfortable or exhausting. Leaders have conviction and are tenacious. They do not compromise for the sake of social cohesion. Once a decision is determined, they commit wholly.

Deliver Results

Leaders focus on the key inputs for their business and deliver them with the right quality and in a timely fashion. Despite setbacks, they rise to the occasion and never settle.

At Amazon, one of our highest priorities is hiring and developing the best, and we work hard to raise the performance bar with every hire. Amazon uses online assessments as one way to help us get to know you better, and we design them to measure key characteristics required for success in a role. Assessments also allow us to assess applicants consistently and equitably, as every individual is provided with the same experience and information needed to complete the assessment. Depending on the position, we may ask you to take an assessment during the application process or send it to you separately after you’ve applied. The type and number of assessments will depend on the role you apply for and in some cases, must be completed within a certain timeframe. The two common types of assessments are work style assessments and work sample simulations.

WORK STYLE ASSESSMENT

These assessments are centered around Amazon’s peculiar culture and Leadership Principles, and typically take 10-20 minutes to complete. In these assessments, we ask you to choose the extent to which a statement represents your work style. For instance, we may ask you which of the two statements "I like for things to be clearly structured,” or “I look forward to the opportunity to learn new things," best describes you.

WORK SAMPLE SIMULATION

These assessments ask you to complete virtual tasks related to a specific position and typically take 20 minutes - one hour to complete. They may ask you to make decisions based on our Leadership Principles, complete activities critical to success at Amazon, and demonstrate your problem-solving, prioritization, and interpersonal abilities. Depending on the role you are applying for, the assessment may ask you to interpret data from a chart, answer a customer question, choose how to resolve an issue, multitask, or find the right information from multiple sources.

For any Software Development Engineer I & II applicants we recommend reviewing our Software Development Topics to help you prepare for technical evaluations and interviews. For all other roles, no advance preparation is required to complete the assessment(s). Just be yourself and do your best.

Some questions may ask about your work style. Try not to overthink them or spend too much time on any one question. We want to get to know the authentic you, as there are many types of successful people at Amazon.

Before starting your assessment, read any information provided carefully since things like timing, deadlines, and assessment types can vary depending on the team.

Most assessments are conducted virtually unless administered as part of a hiring event or on-site interview day.

During your assessment, be in a quiet and comfortable place with no distractions.

Review provided instructions carefully, as some assessments must be completed by a particular date. If an assessment deadline is missed, we’re unable to grant extensions. Many assessments are also timed, so be sure to set aside an appropriate amount of time.

All assessments require the internet, have a computer with a reliable connection and access to email. You will be notified of any additional technical requirements in advance.

If you have any special requirements, questions or concerns, please reach out to us as we are committed to making reasonable provisions for all individuals.

Technical assistance is available for all assessments should you experience a disruption that you cannot resolve (e.g. assessment freezes or crashes). If an issue occurs, use the contact information provided in the assessment.

We take your data privacy very seriously. To learn about how we store your results review our privacy policy.

All assessments must be completed solely by the applicant.

Amazon supports pay equity. We will not consider a candidate’s current or historical compensation when determining whether to offer employment or in determining any aspect of offer compensation for any candidate or role located in the United States.

In most cases, you will be notified via email if we’re moving forward with your application. You can also check your status any time in our application portal.

After you complete the assessment, certain roles may require you to participate in a phone/virtual interview, or come on-site for an in-person interview, which allows us to dive deeper into your skills and experience to learn even more about you. To help prepare, explore our prep guides for phone and in-person interviews.